The Best Novel You’ve Never Read

Summary

The article enthusiastically recommends "Miles From Nowhere" by Nami Mun as a compelling novel that, despite its potential to offend with its raw honesty, offers a profound reading experience.

Abstract

The article on the website titled "The Best Novel You’ve Never Read" passionately endorses Nami Mun's "Miles From Nowhere" as an exceptional book that leaves a lasting impression. The author describes a deep connection with the novel, taking over a month to read it and even transcribing passages to fully absorb its impact. The novel is praised for its ability to convey powerful emotions and truths in few words, with a narrative that is both dark and captivating. While acknowledging that the book's unapologetic and brutally honest content may not be to everyone's taste, the writer compares its style to that of Denis Johnson and Hubert Selby Jr. The article concludes with an invitation for readers to engage in discussion about the book and a prompt to consider other impactful literary works.

Opinions

The author finds "Miles From Nowhere" to be an extraordinary novel that deserves to be savored.
Writing out passages from the book is recommended as a method to improve one's own writing skills.
The book's description of hospital gowns as "too thin to hide their fears" is highlighted as an example of its powerful and concise storytelling.
The author acknowledges that the book's content may be unsettling or offensive to some, but argues that this is not its primary aim.
The novel's storytelling is likened to the styles of Denis Johnson and Hubert Selby Jr., suggesting a similar intensity and exploration of challenging themes.
The article expresses a desire to connect with other readers who have been impacted by the book, indicating a strong community aspect around shared literary experiences.

I have to tell you about this fantastic book

Every now and then you read a book that drops your jaw. A novel that is so good you just don’t want it to end.

That’s how Miles From Nowhere by Nami Mun was for me. It’s not a long book, but it took me over a month to read it.

Instead of just devouring this story, I took my time and savored every word of it. I’ve even spent some time writing out passages from the book, one word at a time. I’ve written out three of the chapters in a notebook and also using my Alphasmart Neo. If you’ve never done that, try it out.

Writing out something really remarkable will help your flow and your writing voice as well. Just set a timer for a few minutes and start writing until the timer goes off. This is one of the best writing tips around.

Photo by Author

I just revisited this book, after reading it about two months ago. I can’t help but say WOW when I read it.

Here’s a quick passage:

In the hallway I walked past a line of beds lumped with sick people, their gowns too thin to hide their fears. I wasn’t bothered by the honesty of it all. My mom worked as a midnight nurse at a very busy hospital. Once when I was young, I asked her what she did for a living. She told me she saved people that she didn’t care about.

Wow. So brutally honest. Pulls no punches at all. And in just a few sentences.

Gowns too thin to hide their fears? That’s an incredible description. And the line from her mother? Absolutely honest and sad at the same time. I love how much can be said in just a few words.

This Book Is Not For Everyone

Make no mistake, Miles From Nowhere is a book that pulls no punches. It’s unapologetic. It will likely have some lines or even paragraphs that will make you uncomfortable and probably offend you. But that’s not the point. This book is not offensive just for the sake of being offensive.

The story is a dark story that sucks you in and takes you to another place. But I’m sure some people won’t enjoy it — it is a lot like Denis Johnson’s writing style (author of Jesus’ Son) combined with the topics often explored by Hubert Selby Jr. (author of Requiem For A Dream and Last Exit To Brooklyn).

Parting Words

If you have already read this book and loved it, I’d love to talk about it with you. If you have and you didn’t enjoy it, that’s cool. We all have preferences and opinions. I encourage you to find something you really enjoy. That’s the real key. And for me, Miles From Nowhere is absolutely one of those books. If you’re still on the fence, you can read some of the first chapter here by clicking the Look Inside feature.

What’s a book that you thoroughly enjoy?

Want to know how you can blog, write a book and build a platform at the same time? I’ll show you in a helpful mini-guide here.

Jim Woods is a writer who believes stories can change the world. He is the creator and founder of StoryCrafting.